Coffee (Mercy76)
by Xavirne
Summary: I'm on a roll today. I don't know why but I wanted to write another fic. It's an A/U where they're both in college. She's a 1st year and he's a 5th year. I REALLY need a better title but I'm fresh outta titles. I'm all ears, if someone has a suggestion!


It came out of nowhere. Within a matter of minutes, the streets were white and the general population was in a tizzy. The weathermen had said it was to be warm and sunny; instead, it was cold and snowing.

Tugging at her shoulder bag, she took a seat directly in front of the window. It would be nice to sit back and relax and have her cup of Joe. Besides, she was in no hurry to deal with the rude people on the streets. She watched as they pushed and shoved their ways into stores and cars, all trying to escape the bitter cold.

Though, if she were being honest, she was really staying as it meant she too could escape the cold weather. She wore a long mocha-colored skirt with a simple creamy-white blouse today. A pretty red scarf was tucked neatly around her neck and cream leg warmers slouched down around her scarlet colored boots. But that was it; she left her jacket back in her dorm.

"I'll be there and back in a jiffy, I won't need my coat," she remembered telling herself. If only she had looked to the dark gray clouds and felt that crisp chill in the air.

She peeled the lid off her piping hot coffee to let it breathe and take in some of the frosty air that now kissed the window. It was a magnificent sight to see - how it hissed and burned at the cool glass while, at the same time, the steam started to fizz and fade.

A school newspaper sat not too far from where she was seated. Outstretching her fingers, she fingered the edges of it before it finally started to move.

Absently, she pursued the contents of the paper but found no story worth sinking her teeth into. The pictures were nice and the headlines were always smirk worthy. But the stories themselves? They were bland as could be.

Her hand lifted as if to reach for her coffee but instead it groped at thin air. She didn't seem fazed for she didn't adjust or even look up from her mindless staring. As such, she missed a man enter the cafe and stare at her.

He was entertained, to say the least. A beautiful blonde with her hair back in a messy bun just pawing toward a cup of coffee but never actually finding it. Her eyes looked glazed over as if she were lost in thought but she wore a blank stare. The way her cheek slumped against her fist made her look bored. As if she regretted not bringing something to do. And yet she had her backpack with her. Did she not have any homework to work on? Or perhaps she was a teacher...? No, she looked much younger than him. Was she a freshmen? He spied a pin that matched the year. Yup, she had to be a freshie.

He had been standing there admiring her for about a minute or so before he decided to help the girl out. Leaning forward into the table, he slowly slid the cooled cup of coffee toward her. As her hand hit the cup, she pulled it in closer before her lips kissed the edges.

Her lips were soft and full; painted with a dulled raspberry color. Her makeup wasn't nearly as dominating as he was used to seeing - she seemed to like things simple and clean.

That's when he spied the red cross pin that also decorated her bag. Was she studying to be a doctor? A nurse? Or was she a fan of the Swiss Army Knife?

To most, people would have thought this man odd. He was staring at a woman, reading her and trying to discern just the kind of woman she was based on what she did and wore. Some might find it off-putting, almost stalkerish. And it would make sense, until you learned that the man was Jack Morrison, a man studying the law and looking to become a detective.

"Mind if I join you," he called her mind out from its blank slate.

She blinked before calmly nodding. "Go for it, it's not like I own the place." There was a subtle teasing undertone to her comment, which caused the male to smirk.

So there was more to her than just a pretty face and a bored stare. She had some sass to her. He was instantly hooked and had to know more.

As he gingerly placed his backpack on the floor beside the stool chair, she too found herself engaged. There was something about this man that caught her eye. He had a sweet yet cool scent that seemed to follow him as he shifted. It was like the ocean but with a twist of a campfire's smoke. And the way he acted was also unusual. Most would just plop into the seat and not even bother asking, but this man was polite and kind. Plus he came across neat as he tugged off his jacket and laid is square across the back of the chair. He folded the scarf nicely before placing it atop the table.

His eyes were soft yet contained a spark. There was a shadow of mystery and yet a calmness so still and transparent that you could stare into his soul and know just what he was thinking.

"Want anything?" he asked while gesturing to the snowfall that was now accumulating and then down to his watch, which said it was high noon.

She wasn't sure if she should jump at his offer or politely decline. But declining wouldn't allow her to talk to this man longer. So if she wanted to keep him there, she needed to play along.

"If you're buying a meal, the Tuesday Two for Twelve deal is definitely the way to go." She flitted her flashes before laughing lightly. "Though if you're looking for just a soup, I'll gladly steal your crackers."

Her nose crinkled, which caused his heart to skip a beat. Just who was this woman?

"Two for twelve coming right up," he purred before extending his hand forward. "The name's Morrison, Jack Morrison. Any preference on the sandwich and soup?"

"Angela," she took his hand, "Angie Ziegler. And oh jeez... I get to pick?" She chewed her lip. "I've never ordered a sandwich from here before. Any recommendations for the new girl?" She flashed her high school pin at him. "It's only my second month so I'm still testing out the waters."

Jack smirked, charmed by her cuteness. "Well then I'll make it a surprise." He winked before going to stand in line.

As soon as he was gone, Angela slipped out her phone to text her roommate. "FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY" she smashed the A key for far too long. "I THINK I'M IN LOVE."

A few seconds later, a text vibrated her phone. "Girl, you're not in love. There ain't no man at this school who's good enough for you."

Angela peeked over her shoulder. "Gimme a sec," she texted. Then, very tactfully, she poked her phone's camera lens up over her shoulder to snap a picture of the guy. "Thoughts?"

"He's hot!" That's all the message read.

"Told ya ;D," Angie replied. "Now help a girl out. Tell me something that'll make me look smart and sound cool. Something that will keep him coming back for more! For me!"

Before she could check her buzzing phone, the scent of tomato soup caught her attention.

"One grilled cheese with tomato basil soup for the lady," he placed the plate before her. "And one of the _exact same thing because I'm not that original_ for myself."

"It smells delish!" Angela purred happily. "Thank you," a light blush kissed her cheeks.

"No problem, happy to help show a rookie the ropes." He took a seat at the table. Before ripping a corner of his grilled cheese, he shot Angela a question. "So you're a freshman, yeah? What's your program?"

"That's correct! And I'm studying medicine. I've always been fascinated by the medical world. Ever since I was a little girl, I used to love to help people. I'd patch up cuts, clean up blood, give people CPR. I... I guess being a medical professional has always been in my blood. W-what about you?"

Angela copied him as he dunked his toast into the bowl of soup. Blowing lightly on it like he did, she was quite surprised with the taste. "Wow," she fanned her mouth as it was still hot, "this is really good." It didn't come out as clear as she had hoped but he caught her drift.

"Ha, yeah. It's my go-to lunch." Leaning back in the chair, Jack looked up at the sky. It was still snowing but it seemed to have slowed. "As for me, I'm a fifth year. I'm studying criminal justice. I've got a minor in political science."

"A fifth year," there was a hint of sorry to her tone as she repeated that.

"Ha," Jack scratched the back of his head, "yeah I'm old. But worry not, I won't be leaving anytime soon. I've got a two year paid apprenticeship I'm doing upon graduation. It's just down the road in the city. So I'll still be stopping by to grab my tomato soup." His wink caught her off guard and she immediately started choking.

He wanted to help but honestly wasn't sure what to do. " _Uh_ ," his lips twisted to the side. "If you can walk me through CPR or whatever, I'd be more than happy to save you!"

That comment seemed to be just enough to get her to stop choking and start laughing. "Really? You want to learn CPR? You don't want to try _another_ method to breathe life into me?"

She seemed rather coy in her response and demeanor, which threw him off. "I'm not as well-versed in medical stuff so I'm afraid CPR is the only breathing one I know."

She broke into a fit of snickers.

"What?" He was thoroughly confused. "Is it something I should know. Now I'm beginning to wish I paid attention in health..." Flustered, his cheeks burned red.

"No, no, no," Angela waved her hand in front of herself. "I just... I've never seen a guy ask to learn how to perform CPR. Usually you just... _you know_." She started to blush. "Well, _you know_."

He was either dense as a box of rocks or playing the fool for he kept that confused look on his face. "Okay _freshie_ , you'll have to spell it out. I'm an old man and I clearly need to learn this trick if it'll help save a life!"

Jack seemed most adamant in wanting to know just what she was talking about. So much so that when she tried to change the conversation, he brought it back to the topic of CPR. "Oh no, you don't get to cheat me out of a life saving technique. I want to be a detective. If I find someone blue as could be, I want to know how to save them without knowing CPR. You made this other technique sound a hell of a lot easier."

Every ounce of her being wanted her to grab her phone and text Fareeha for help. But she also wanted to win this one on her own. So, she swallowed hard and leaned forward.

"You really want to know this _Swiss_ _secret_?"

"It's Swiss?" He clearly wasn't acting. He was definitely a dense idiot. "Wait, are you from Switzerland?"

"Yes and yes. It's our most prized secret. If you share it with anyone, I'll have to _kill_ you."

Jack cocked a brow at her. "You know threatening someone who's almost ready to graduate _and_ with a criminal justice degree is a bad idea... right?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "Will you stop interrupting and let me explain."

Making a zipping motion over his lips, Jack sat there tentatively looking at her. He was ready for this lesson!

"First things first, you have to see if they still have a pulse. So follow my lead." She placed two fingers on his wrist. "See how weak or strong it is. It'll determine the _oomph_ you put into the _next move_."

Jack nodded and then felt for her pulse. "Okay so you're clearly alive. So what's that mean."

" _Tender and light_. Just enough to help but not enough to drown them." Her cheeks started to glow red and she felt her brow get sweaty.

 _Oh jeez, here it comes._ She was already regretting this but she had to keep going forward. She wouldn't let this opportunity pass her by!

"And if the pulse is weak?" He was genuinely concerned. "How do I know how much effort I put int-"

Before he could finish his sentence, her lips were brushing lightly against his. It was brief yet impactful. He was completely baffled by the fleeting kiss.

It took him a few moments before he realized that there was no secret Swiss CPR move. That the move she was talking about wasn't CPR but the thing you see in movies - men rushing to kiss a woman and proclaim it was CPR.

Jack's mouth opened but closed before opening again.

He was at a complete loss for words. For being the detective, he didn't see this coming. He walked right into her trap! He felt like a thick-headed fool. How could he have not picked up on that. On what she was implying.

Clearly he wasn't as good a detective as he had hoped. Maybe his parents were right, he should just focus on farming. He was never any good at reading women, especially women he liked. But crops and corn, oi, he knew them like he knew the back of his hand.

She chewed her lip and watched his emotions play out like a feature length movie. She was impressed with herself and couldn't stop beaming on the inside.

" _Well...?_ " She had to ask. She just had to know. Was her alternative technique to CPR a winner?

The way his blue eyes looked at her made her heart skip a beat. She'd won. It was plain as day on his face.

Blushing, Angela averted her gaze. Her blue eyes caught the lovely sparkle of the snow in the park. Seeing her reflection, she energized herself and her confidence returned. She'd ask him to stay longer. To join her. To make him fall for her just a little bit more.

"When we're done eating," her passionate sapphire stare fell on him, "want to join me for a walk in the park." Her nose crinkled as she laughed. "Though I'm afraid you'll have to forfeit your coat. I left mine on my chair in my dorm."

For the first time since their conversation started, she lost her upper hand. He was finally able to lead this dance. He said not a word but he didn't need to. His dashing grin and that look in his eyes said it all. He was calm and cool, soft yet bold. He'd sweep her off her feet and make her fall - fall hard.

As they cleaned up, she bashfully kept her eyes locked on him. When they got to the door, she felt his warm jacket dance around her lithe frame. It swallowed her whole and his scent overwhelmed her (but in the good way). She breathed in, pure bliss evident on her face.

With a large grin, she stepped forward and slipped her hand into his. As she did so, he unfolded his scarf and draped it around the two of them, as if they were tried together. "Just in case you try to run," he teased before tugging a hat over her blonde hair.

He was so sweet. So pure. There was no hidden agenda with him.

She trusted him. She knew that if she wore her heart on her sleeve like she'd been doing since they met, he'd love it as if it were his own. He'd help it blossom and bloom into something magical.

The soft crunch of the freshly fallen snow melted her heart. This was everything she wanted and then some.

"Hey, Jack," she whispered while looking up at him with hopeful eyes, "I'm glad it snowed."

His side grin swept her off her feet. "Yeah," he smirked, "me too."


End file.
